Passing Shot scores

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he lost out on the chance to win Saturday's $1 million Travers, jockey Jose Santos earned a pretty nice consolation prize Friday, by guiding Passing Shot to a stunning upset of 1-5 favorite Wild Spirit in the Grade 1, $400,000 at Saratoga.

Santos helped Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens add to his reputation as the "Giant Killer" for pulling off so many improbable upsets. Passing Shot, who had never before won a stakes, was 11-1 and returned $24.60.

Wild Spirit, trained by Bobby Frankel and ridden by Jerry Bailey, was the giant on Friday after wins in the Shuvee and Delaware handicaps. Wild Spirit raced along the rail for the entire trip and found room to get through turning for home when pace-setter Miss Linda carried out the stalking Passing Shot.

Wild Spirit opened a one-length lead at the eighth pole and maintained that advantage until the sixteenth pole before Passing Shot found something extra to get up by a nose at the wire. It was 6 1/4 lengths back to Miss Linda in third. Summer Colony and Golden Sonata completed the order of finish.

Passing Shot, a daughter of A.P. Indy owned and bred by Joseph Shields, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.33 over a fast track.

"I was very confident because I was riding for the Giant Killer," said Santos, who was scheduled to ride Funny Cide in the Travers before that horse was scratched due to illness. "When he puts a horse in a race you know he has a chance to win. I gave a hell of a ride to this filly. Bailey got lucky to get through. I still had a little bit of horse. The weight helped this horse a lot."

Passing Shot carried 114 pounds - three more than she was assigned because Santos can't make 111 - an eight-pound concession from Wild Spirit.

Bailey said the weight was the difference, blasting racing secretary Mike Lakow for assigning Wild Spirit 122 pounds, five more than she carried in the Delaware Handicap.

"Allen Jerkens can thank Mike Lakow for that one," Bailey said. "Five pounds off one race - when have you heard of anyone picking up five pounds off one race? Mike Lakow should be ashamed of himself."

A total of $1,125,692 out of $1,197,085 in the show pool was wagered on Wild Spirit. There was a minus show pool of $184,505.